My Forbidden Stars
by MissBunburyHope
Summary: I am Artemis, Goddess of the hunt, young girls and the moon. I am a true God and completely immortal, except for the one crazy mortal emotion: love. A giant distracted me once from staying a maiden, but he's gone now and I shall never return to how he made me feel. At least, that is my plan. My fear is I will have missed him so much that I pity him and fall, not getting up again.
1. Chapter 1

**My Forbidden Stars**

_When Artemis was first told what her future was prophesised as, she was not best pleased and she would try to stray from her path. She was drawn to hunting and the moon though. However, can the handsome half-mortal, Orion distract from how she is meant to stay? Or will some be able to stop this love that may never form?_

* * *

I run my hand along the perfectly smooth silver of my precious bow, smiling as I feel the power that seems to course through it. I may have only had the bow and arrows for a few days but I already know what they can do. And they seem to know what I can do too, seemingly aiding me with my prophesied future.

I glance up to the mirror in front of me, straightening my tunic, the front ending just above my knees as the back trails down until it finishes at the heel of my sandaled feet. I adjust the simple beaded belt around my slim waist then smooth down my golden curls before I place the silver circlet on top of my head. I take one final look through my eyes, which change to reflect the sky outside, so currently reflect the blue sky and the golden sun at ten o'clock, before I snatch the bow and quiver from their stand, speeding from my room to stand in front of my brother's.

As I knock, I call, "Apollo, are you able to coming out today?"

I rest my ear on the wooden door as I hear movement from the other side but no response. I sigh, stepping away from his room and catching sight of our mother.

"Artemis," she says, nodding her head in my direction.

I curtsey, bowing my head before replying simply, "Good day, mother."

I stand up straight and see her studying the somewhat glum expression on my face. "Is something troubling you, child?"

I shake my head. "Is Apollo busy today?"

"He will be practising his duties, yes," she answers. I sigh again as she adds, "And I would recommend that you do the same."

"I was headed for the Island of Crete anyway," I lie. I was actually planning to head out somewhere...forbidden, for that is always the better place to aim for.

"Tell the truth," she instructs, of course seeing straight through my lies.

"How do you know that I'm not?" I snap, instantly regretting it as I feel her wrath being held against me. I try and slow my breathing back to a regular pace as the Goddess' powerful hands stay behind my head, pulling it back so I have no choice but to face her.

"You should know by now to not lie," she hisses.

I nod as much as I dare. "I know..." I begin.

"Especially if you wish to become the Goddess you've been told that you will be," she finishes.

She releases my head and I take a few steps away, rubbing my neck where it feels frozen in place. "Well, as it's prophesied, surely that means that I will be the Goddess, whatever you threaten me with."

She glares daggers at me and I leave the area at a sprint, my feet seeming to never touch the floor until I skid to a halt at the entrance to the stables.

"You never heard the details of your prophecy, how you get to your position," reasons the voice of Leto as it echoes around, having followed me from the Palace.

I smirk. Exactly, it makes it all the more fun, not knowing what's going to happen in the next moment. You can pretend that you're making your own path. Though, if I did know my prophecy, I will admit that I'd try to stray from it.

With plans forming in my mind, I quickly prepare one of the safer horses to accompany my own, slightly flighty horse for a journey to the Island. I decide that my safest option is to go there at least for now so my mother trusts me. Then, when her trust is at the point where she no longer questions me, I can go elsewhere. Where exactly is momentarily beyond me but I know forbidden is where I fundamentally plan to go.

As I finish my preparations, I lead the horses and the chariot into the courtyard, stowing my weapon away as I catch sight of the golden mess that is my brother's hair.

"Apollo!" I shout, leaning on the cold metal of the chariot.

He spins around and smiles at the sight of me, instantly heading towards me. "Hello sister," he mutters, wrapping his arm around my shoulder as I smile too.

"Can you come with me to the Island?" I ask quickly, cutting straight to the chase.

His face instantly drops as he laughs, "Finally agreed to mother's biddings?"

"Gaining her trust," I argue. "So?" I press in a my young, pleading voice as I stare up at him, my eyes shining as I try to convince him.

"I don't know, Arte," he sighs, looking away.

"You can't, can you?" I whisper.

"Sorry," he mutters, dropping his arm and walking away.

I pull a face behind his back and storm off into the chariot, sending the two horses off straight away.

Fine, Apollo, if that's how you want to play, I will too. Don't even give me an excuse, will you. I don't care, I can do it on my own. I don't need you.

As I hear a soft nickering from in front of me, I open my eyes to see my horse throwing her head in the air. I release the reins, suddenly releasing that I must have been clutching them much too tightly in the anger I'd been feeling. Though it's not really fair on my brother to feel like this. It's probably not his fault.

I groan, my hand drifting over too my quiver full of arrows as I watch my surroundings pass beneath me, not really taking any of them in. I pull out an arrow and study the delicate killing device. It's actually quite beautiful for something so deadly.

With a gentle thud, the chariot lands on the soft sand at the edge of the Island. I step out, grabbing the quiver to throw over my shoulder as I grip my bow tightly in my hand. I walk over to the two horses, stroking them after I remove the harnesses and bridles from their heads. They nuzzle their noses into my shoulder and I smile as they dislodge my circlet whilst messing up my hair.

I place a small kiss on each of their noses before whispering a short goodbye and then walking away. As I climb up the steep path onto the Island, I adjust my circlet back to its original position then beginning spinning the bow around through my fingers. Who cares if it's not the right thing to do with it, it's actually quite fun.

At the sound of a snapping twig, my head turns in the direction of the creature that moved into my line of sight. I smirk, grabbing an arrow from behind me and notching it onto my bow. I draw the string back as I lock my eyes onto my target, aiming the arrow to the very vein that will kill it instantly as I shoot.

Suddenly, as if aware of my presence, the creature takes off, running further into the forest. I curse and drop the tension in the string of my bow and throw my bow to my side, keeping the arrow notched as I start after the creature, running at a steady speed so that I can keep it in my sight but not so I'd tire, which is unlikely anyway.

As I see it eventually tiring from the speed at which it's running, I quicken my pace so I can be close enough to shoot. It reaches the edge of the Island and I stop, smiling as I bring the bow back up to my face, pulling the string back so it rests against my lips. I take a deep breath and go to shoot until another being appears before me, stopping my shot once again.

I curse, keeping the bow and arrow in place as I debate whether or not I should shoot this person for ruining my hunt as I see the creature that I was following stop moving. I frown and lower my bow once again, crossing my arms as I glare at the back of the man's head. I watch him angrily as he returns the dagger used to kill the creature back to his belt after wiping it clean on the ground under foot.

He studies it silently for a few minutes and, finally so frustrated that I can no longer hold in my feelings, I shout, "Who are you to interrupt my hunt?"

He freezes at the sound of my authoritative tone and slowly rises to his feet, keeping his face pointed away from me. As he bows deeply, he replies in a confident voice, "I am sorry, Lady Artemis, for I did not know that this was your hunt to interrupt. If I did, I would not have done such a thing. But, as to who I am, I am Orion, son of the God Poseidon and the mortal Euryale."

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**Author's Note: This is my first Greek mythology fanfiction but I am rather interested in the story of Artemis and Orion after naming a character in one of my other fanfictions Orion. So, I am going to write my version of their story. Please review to let me know what you think because I really appreciate the reviews. Thanks for reading! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two-**

As he straightens up, his sea green eyes lock onto mine and I try to tear my gaze away, unfortunately finding myself unable to. I stare at him for a few moments, believing that I can see the waves of the sea that his father controls in them, desperately attempting to convince myself that it's the divine presence that he inherited from his father that's enchanting me.

"My lady?" mutters Orion.

"Yes, child," I say, shaking my head and finally taking my eyes from his to look down into the leaves on the floor, where I realise that I have dropped my bow. I drop my quiver of arrows next to it, as if I did it on purpose, and walk forward.

"Child?" he repeats. "I believe that I am two years the elder of you. You have not received your full powers yet, in fact, you only discovered them a few weeks ago. _You _are the child."

"You wish," I mutter.

He sighs, quickly changing the subject, along with his mood. "Are you okay?" he asks, turning around to watch me as I bend down to study the huge buck that he killed.

"Other than the fact that you just made _my_ kill, I am as perfectly fine as I could be," I answer, running my hand over the wound he made in its neck, noting how clean it is with such brutal a weapon. Though I suppose he did use a knife instead of the heavy club that hangs on the belt at his waist.

"I will apologise once again. Had I known his was to be your kill, I would have left him to be shot by you so I could see your skills," he admits.

I frown again as I fully cover the wound with my hand and see the white bandages quickly covering the body of the creature. I stand up again and instruct, "Stay still."

Slowly, I walk around him, keeping my eyes away from his face for now. My gaze travels from his sturdy sandals and up his strong legs, where I notice that his power for running that could match mine comes from. He wears a white tunic which reaches halfway up his thighs, held around in his waist with the thick leather belt which holds his knives and club.

The top half of his tunic is unable to hide his muscular chest and I force myself to just glance over his equally muscled arms before my eyes reach his head. Behind him, I reach my hand up and run my hand through the dark locks of the boy's hair. He chuckles slightly and turns around so his face is above mine, in place so I am able to see his defined cheek bones and pink lips, which shine beneath his beautiful eyes.

"Is your analysis complete yet, my lady?" he asks, a smile playing across his lips.

"You think that I was I looking at you merely for your appearance?" I reply, not daring to let a smile satisfy him. "There are much more interesting things that have taken my fancy in the past few days or so."

"Then what was the five minute long study of my body for then?" he retorts.

"You know just as well as I do what the aspects of my prophecy call for and what you are accusing me does not fall under a part of that," I snap, my face staying with an unimpressed expression.

He raises his eyebrow. "Artemis, daughter of Leto and Zeus, and the elder twin of Apollo. Goddess of hunting, wilderness and wild animals. Goddess of childbirth and protector of girls until their marriage. You bring and relieve diseases in women. You control the moon. And you are the goddess of virginity."

"Not as stupid as you look then, are you?" I joke, a smirk drawing across my lips at the look that he gives me following my comment.

"You think I look stupid?" he questions, crossing his arms over his chest in a similar way to how I did earlier.

"I think you look many things, son of Poseidon, and yes, stupid is one of them," I agree, turning my back to him as I begin making my way back to my bow and arrows, still lying on the ground. At the pressure of his hand on my shoulder, I spin around and slap his hand away, hissing in warning tones, "If you dare lay a finger on me again without my permission, I will make sure that you are never able to take a kill of mine-"

"So I can "lay a finger on you" with your permission?" he interrupts, raising his hands in mock surrender at my death glare. "It was by force of reassuring habit that I use for other girls that caused my hand to land upon your shoulder," he explains in more serious tones.

I shake my head and carry on with my warning. "…which will be _nothing_ compared to when I will make sure that you can never enjoy the pleasures that you do _so love_ with your female companions that like to please you in return."

He looks annoyed. "I never said anything about _enjoying _things with other girls-"

"How do you reassure other girls then?" I ask, not in the mood to argue with him about what he does or does not do with other girls. "Do you woo them with your good looks and sweet voice? Or is it merely the divine presence that you inherited from your father that you can use to control them?"

He looks confused by my sudden compliments and takes a few minutes to reply. "What does it matter to you how I reassure other girls?"

"It does not matter to me in anyway," I answer. "What you do with other girls is completely up to you. Let them entertain you and you can entertain them back, if you'd like. But do not think that you can use those same pathetic powers and charm to control me too. I could easily return the rule and then take you much further."

"I'd like to see you try," he challenges as he raises his eyebrow.

"I do not plan to spend the rest of my day entertaining you," I reply. "Go and find someone else if you want that so desperately."

"The reason why I'd like to see you try is because you don't look very powerful," he begins.

"Looks can be deceiving," I argue as I turn away and pick up my bow and arrows. "For example, you don't look much like a giant."

"You don't look much like a goddess," he retorts.

"Don't tempt me, Orion," I mutter, my grip tightening around the cold silver as my fingers enclose around the arrow I have loaded. "You don't seem to know how easily I could kill you."

"You also don't seem to know how easily _I _could kill you," he argues. "I may not be a complete God like you, but, believe me, I can use the powers I have."

"What powers are they then?" I laugh, my back still to him.

"Strength is just one," he begins. "And another is-"

"Alluring girls to yourself for your own joy," I finish. I wait for a moment for his reply but, when I hear no response, I turn my head in his direction and notice him gone. I sigh and look on the ground for a clue as to where he's gone, finding nothing for me to use as a trail.

Taking this as his hint for me to leave him alone, though I don't really feel that this is what he wants, just what I will allow him to do, I decide that I can do some hunting of my own now. I smile as, within a few seconds, I have already made a small kill and sent it back to my chariot. _This _is why I am meant to hunt alone.

After an hour or two, I have made enough kills to satisfy the kitchens on Olympus for a day at least and I return to the beach where my chariot landed. I glance over the carefully packaged creatures and then look back, sure that there are less there than I made. And I can only come up with one explanation for where it has gone: Orion. I frown once I've made the assumption that the giant has been thieving and walk away to hide myself, covering my footsteps as I walk away.

A few minutes later, the boy reappears back on the soft sand and walks to the chariot. I tighten my grip on an arrow again, debating whether or not to kill or at least injure him for being so rude, but stop myself from doing anything as I see my grey horse and her golden friend walking towards him and snuggling their faces into his shoulder. They never came to see me, why him then? He whispers something when his mouth is close to their ears and they nicker joyfully, as if he is telling them a joke.

I glare at his back, this latest action having made up my mind for me. But, again as an interruption to me, he turns so his green eyes are staring in my direction, causing me to shrink back into the shadows so he can't see me but I can see him. How does he quite manage to stop _every single thing_ that I want to do? He just arrives and I'm stuck. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I can't kill a person, I pity him, or something else. Whatever the reason is, it's annoying.

I stare at him, silently daring him to turn around but he does no such thing. As a growing expression of hatred covers my face, I watch his whole body scan the area that I hide in whilst his hand drifts to the club on his belt. My eyes travel down with his hand too and I load an arrow onto my bow just in case he tries anything against me or something under my protection. He doesn't move again for a moment though, and I'm left wondering if he was just doing it as an intimidation technique.

Then I notice a large and fierce looking dark grey wolf creeping along the edge of the sand on the beach, eyeing closely the two horses, its eyes eventually falling onto Orion, who seems to have not noticed it. The wolf's eyes soon travel back to the horses, seemingly licking its lips in a hungry way, and I'm quickly praying to all the higher Gods that Orion will notice its presence soon and kill it. But I can't help but feel that'll never happen as he's still gazing in my direction.

Although, it turns out that he doesn't need to be looking to make a kill because after the few seconds when I blink, I open my eyes to see the wolf lying dead on the floor, with its head bashed in. Orion glances around to pick up his club and slip it back into belt, checking without much worry to make sure the wolf's no longer living.

I silently thank whatever chance of fate allowed this to happen as I stand up when he finally turns back around. I slide the arrow back into my quiver and step forward, calling, "Why is it now that you finally decided to be kind?"

I know he rolls his eyes as he keeps his back to me and I carry on making my way back to the chariot. "A thank you would be appreciated."

"Why would one be necessary?" I retort.

He turns around to face me, with his arms folded over his chest and an irritated expression on his face. "I just saved your horses and your kills-"

"Oh yes, you may have stopped that _one _kill from being stolen," I agree, "but that was just one. You _stopped _my first one by taking it for yourself, and half of the ones since you have physically _taken away _from me."

"Stop there!" he complains. "Okay, I may have stopped that first kill but _I _haven't been taking your other ones. That was that wolf. I saw it dragging away something from your chariot, you must have seen the paths left and worked out that I wouldn't have left them, and started heading down here until I saw you staring at your chariot. I presumed you were coming down to stop it as well but you went in the other direction to where the paths were heading. So I came down and thought I saw you, but I was unsure. I killed the wolf because I worked out that you didn't know. Again, I think a thank you would be a good idea."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" I warily ask.

"I'm sorry, but what do I need to do to get you to trust me?" he shouts.

I look him up and down for a second before I whisper, "To prove your loyalty to me, I need you to become one of my hunters."

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**Author's Note: I hope this is okay, I only briefly checked it because I wanted to get this up tonight; I am sorry about the long wait for the second chapter. **

**Anyway, thank you for the reviews last chapter, they always mean a lot.**

**Also, I forgot to say this last time... I imagine Artemis to be about twelve/nearly thirteen in human years in this; she won't receive her full powers until she's thirteen. I know this probably didn't actually happen but I felt it worked more for this. This means that Orion will be about fifteen/sixteen, for I imagine him to be slightly older than her.**

**So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and review to let me know please! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three-**

"You wish me to be a hunter?" Orion repeats slowly.

I pause, wanting to neither speak nor move, wary of what I will now consent to. I know that he's now desperate for something I no longer want to give him, but perhaps could be a good thing.

"My lady, I may be able to do some things, but mind reading is not one of them," he points out.

I still just stare at him, meeting his green eyes, which I now know don't show the sea but his personality: fierce or calm. I see his sunset pink lips move, but hear no words escaping them, instead hearing the gentle crash of the waves onto the sand shore that I stand upon. I know he must chuckle next because his mouth opens, showing the first true smile, which blinds me, that he's given me in the few hours I've known him, and the sound I hear momentarily changes.

I suddenly hear him say, "You need to keep a tighter grip on your things," when I snap back to reality at a warm touch on my hands.

Confused to what it is, I glance down and snatch my hands away when I realise it's his fingers around mine. "I told you to not touch me again," I begin.

He sighs, shaking his head. "My lady, your bow and arrows were slipping from your grasp. I thought it would be best to return them to your hold, instead of letting them fall again."

"When was the last time that I allowed them to fall?" I ask.

"The last time you were staring at me," he answers.

My mouth drops open and I feel my cheeks instantly blushing. He makes me sound like a love-struck mortal, and I'm certainly not.

"If you wanted to convince me otherwise, you are not really doing very good at doing so," he points out.

I frown, wanting to leave him now, where he stands, but I have offered him the position of a fellow hunter and I need a good reason to take it away from him, as I strangely don't think the ones I currently have will work. "Fine. I would like to see your hunting skills. I have once seen you kill a buck, and I missed the time that you killed the wolf, so I would like to see you in action."

He raises an eyebrow, smirking. "Oh, really?"

"Son of Poseidon, you have the maturity of a young mortal boy, please grow up," I sigh.

"I did not say much," he argues.

"No, but you implied it," I correct. "I would merely like to see your actual _hunting_ skills. If they are up to scratch, perhaps I will be more likely to let you become a hunter. If you hinder me, or continue to try and seduce me, I may not allow it."

"So you have taken away the offer you just made?" he works out.

"Congratulations. However, as well, this is an example of a moment when I would care to take back my earlier comment about your lack of intelligence," I answer, unfortunately not able to cover my sarcastic tones.

He frowns. "Would you care to not mock me too?"

"No. You do it to me quite frequently, so why should I not?" I question, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I never meant to offend you, my lady," he argues, bowing slightly.

I roll my eyes, unsure of _why_ I offered this boy the chance of joining my elite hunting group, of which there is currently only occasionally my mother and Apollo, if he remembers. "Well, you have done a good job of doing so."

As he stands up and begins studying me, I note, I walk back to my chariot, silently calling for my horses to return to me. I place my bow and quiver of arrows onto their stands and replace them with the bridles and harnesses for the two horses instead, once I see them making their way to me.

"My lady, where are you going?" Orion asks, also making his way to me.

I smirk. The way he comes when I call the horses and how they are so in tune with each other is like he's one of them and under my power. I begin slipping the harness and bridle over their heads as I wave my hand in the direction of the water, with the sun sinking below it. "I am not sure if you have noticed, for it appears you have not, but the sun is setting and that calls upon me to lift the moon to take his place."

"You are going?" he guesses.

I suppress a comment about his ability to point out the obvious, merely nodding instead.

"Oh," he sighs. "I suppose I should probably head home as well then."

"I think that could be a wise decision," I agree.

However, I neither see him hear or move so, when I have finished tacking up my horses and attached them to the chariot, I turn around to see him still staring at me. He realises I'm looking back by the way my body is now facing and _his_ cheeks heat up as he looks down, mumbling a faint apology.

I sigh and shake my head. "Where will you be going to?"

"I go to the nearest point of land, depending on where I finish my hunting of the day," he answers.

"How have I never seen you here before?" I ask.

He shrugs. "Perhaps the fates decided that our paths should not cross until this moment of time," he suggests. "And you have only been hunting here for a few days, whilst I since the earliest days I remember. So you will stay in the same area, of course, whilst I will venture around the whole island."

I nod. "How do you return home?"

"I swim," he explains.

"You swim?" I repeat. "But the mainland is miles away. I have never met a mortal before who could swim such a distance without any assistance."

He chuckles and looks up again. "Yes, but I doubt you have ever met a mortal before who is also the son of Poseidon."

"Oh yes, I had not taken that into my calculations," I admit. I glance away from his face and over to the nearest land, muttering, "It's impossible to swim that far."

"If you think so, why don't you take me there in your chariot?" he jokes.

I look at my chariot and then back at him. "One day I will see your swimming, but today I will return you to real land."

He looks surprised. "You really will? I was not suggesting it, I was joking."

"I know you were, but I cannot take even more time to argue with you," I complain, stepping into the chariot. "Though, if you wish to take a ride with me, please step behind me now as I need to go soon."

He smiles. "Thank you."

As soon as both of his feet have left the sand and replaced themselves behind me, I command the horses to leave the floor too. I rest my hands at the front and try to ignore the boy who is stumbling behind me, having no connection to the chariot so having no hold. After a few minutes, I sigh and, not looking at him, I catch his hands and wrap his muscular arms around my waist to keep him in place. I rest my hands atop his strong arms and smirk slightly, as he's frozen in place for more than one reason.

"My lady, you said I could never touch you again," he reasons when he's recovered enough to speak.

I laugh, leaning back slightly against his chest so I can see his face. "Without my permission," I correct. "I think I'd rather you held onto me than fall into the sea or stumble around behind me."

He smiles again, making me catch my breath at the beauty of it. Then he moves forward as well so his lips are next to my ear, his warm breath tickling the side of my face, whispering, "I appreciate your kind thinking."

I nod, turning away as shivers run down my body, though I am not sure for which reason: the temperature of the air up here or the way that Orion makes me feel. I'm hoping it was the first.

We stay in silence for another few moments, Orion's hold growing tighter around me as the chariot ascends in height, me still resting against him, my hands on his arms and my fingers absentmindedly tracing over every single detail that they possess. I shut my eyes and sigh, content with how I stand, the cool breeze soothing my tired face but not growing cold with the warm breath of my companion on my neck cancelling it out. He rests his forehead against the back of my head and I smile.

Soon, I feel the chariot's speed slightly decrease as we still climb ever higher. I feel a warmth spread through me as I know I've changed into what I have of my Goddess self, so I can transport the moon. "Don't open your eyes, Orion, I'll blind you," I warn, my tones sounding sleepy.

"You don't need to look like a Goddess to do that," he compliments, his voice sounding equally sleepy. "Your beauty blinds me anyway."

"You're not too bad yourself," I reply.

He doesn't talk in the next moment, his movements speaking for him. I know he keeps his eyes closed as I instructed, whilst his head rolls down slightly until his lips have reached my neck. He gently kisses the skin and I grin, loving the feel of him against me until I open my eyes and slap him away. "Oh yeah," he groans, his voice still tired. "Only with your permission may I touch you."

I turn around within his tight hold so that I'm facing him. His eyes are luckily still definitely shut, but he's frowning slightly. "I'm glad you took my words to heart, I don't think I would have known what to do if you'd have scarred your beautiful eyes."

The frown wipes off his face as he chuckles, "Where are we then?"

I glance around quickly, placing my hand over his eyes as I do so, just to make sure that he doesn't chance a look. I see miles and miles of deep blue ocean, sparkling silver under the moon that I control. "Not at the nearest land. It appears my ride did not listen to the part about taking you home first."

I see him beginning to smirk as I turn back to face him, dropping my hand. "Perhaps they did on purpose," he decides, his words mixing together a little as his voice stays deep. "Maybe they wanted us to stay together a bit longer-"

"Or maybe they realised that I needed to do this, and taking you home would make me late," I interrupt. "Hush now, son of Poseidon, sleep will soon takes its toll on you, it appears. Don't make it wait any longer than it should do."

"I'm not tired," he complains like a child.

"Sleep is making you say things you wouldn't usually," I tell him. "Stop before you regret the things-"

"I'm not only saying that your beauty would blind me because I'm tired," he argues. "I'd say it normally but you wouldn't let me."

"Ssssh," I hush, turning us around and kneeling him down. I slip his arms away from me and curl him up in the corner, stopping him from falling away by crouching down to watch him fall asleep.

"Don't tell me what to do," he mutters. "I'll tell _you_ what to do."

"Of course you will," I sigh. "Now sleep."

He slowly shakes his head, reaching up to bring my face down to his. "No."

"You are acting as if you are a mortal infant," I say. "I command you to stop and just sleep."

He shakes his head again, pulling my face closer to his. "No."

"I will let you fall in the sea," I decide.

"And I will take you in with me," he bargains.

I push him away when his lips nearly touch mine, running my hand over the length of his body so he falls into a semi-permanent sleep, just until I take him home. I laugh when I see his body go weak and then I stand up, watching the sky as I reach the maximum point and release the moon to there. I smile at her before I guide my chariot away, back to the land where Orion was headed to earlier.

Once the chariot lands on the cobbled floor with a slight jolt, I remove my Goddess look before I kneel down next to him and whisper, "I would appreciate if you vacated my chariot now."

He groans and rolls over, catching my legs and pulling them out from beneath me so I fall down next to him. He wraps an arm around me as he mutters, "I'm quite comfortable as I am."

"Leave now or I will take away the privilege I offered," I warn.

He sighs, sitting up and releasing me as he looks at me. I laugh at his messy hair and stand up. He takes a hand I did not offer him and uses it to bring himself to his feet as well, before he lifts my hand to kiss it as he bows. "Another time, my lady."

"I will see you soon," I promise, shaking my hand away. "Now be on your way."

He pretends to look sad as he bows once again, leaving the chariot swiftly to disappear down a darkened alleyway. I may have only known him for a day, but I swear he is more trouble that he's worth, and I'm not sure what the price of him is yet.

* * *

**Author's Note: I'm now going to say that this will probably be a two week update story, unless I have time to update it before then. I apologise for this but my other stories are probably my priority after school work.**

**It is a shame that I got no new reviews for the last chapter, I would really appreciate if I got some and they would motivate me to write the next chapter quicker, but I did not get many views either. Anyway, I'll hope this one's more successful.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four-**

I smile as I see the sun beginning to rise over the horizon, and cross my legs under me onto the wall that I sit on. I start playing with my silver bow once again as I use it as an act of preoccupation until I hear the call of horses returning to their stables. I look up and sigh when I hear the crash of wheels onto stone. "You're not ignoring me today!" I shout across the courtyard as my brother finally lands his chariot after an age of waiting.

He rolls his eyes as he drops the bridles of the horses, leaving one of the maids who continuously swoon over him to pick it up. He walks over to me and jumps up onto the wall next to me, laughing at the expression on my face. "I didn't ignore you yesterday," he argues.

"Why didn't you come with me to the Island then?" I moan, pouting slightly.

"I had better things to do," he replies. I frown and cross my arms in front of my chest.

"Please come with me today then," I plead.

He sighs as he looks away from me and over the courtyard, catching the eye of one of the attractive nymphs. Her slightly tinted skin blushes a deep colour and she pulls her strangely coloured hair over her face, walking away from my brother. "Maybe," he mutters.

"I didn't think you would," I huff, jumping off the wall and landing on the cobbles without a sound, throwing my bow over my shoulder as I walk away.

"Artemis!" he calls as he jumps to the floor as well, catching up to me within a few seconds. He places a hand on my shoulder but I shrug it away, continuing on my journey. "I can't present you with my idea if you keep walking away."

"But you know that what you're other plan is will make me feel uncomfortable," I sigh.

"How do you know that I'm planning to do what you think I'm going to do?" he asks.

"Because when do you not?" I reply.

"You make me sound like everything I do goes against your wishes," he complains.

"Well, some of it does," I begin.

"And then you control each of my actions," he adds.

"Listen, Apollo, if you don't want to respect what are the terms of my power, don't," I snap. "But don't then expect me to treat you as the brother figure that I have done for the last part of my life."

He looks shocked as I stomp away, leaving him behind as I walk into the stables. Luckily, I find my two horses still tacked up and I just lead them back into the courtyard. I quickly attach them to my chariot and go to place my bow and arrows in their holders until I hear familiar footsteps behind me, loading my bow as I turn around.

"Arte," whines my brother, "you're being stupid-"

"Don't call me stupid when you're the one who's disrespecting what you know I have to stick by," I answer, the arrow notched in my bow pointing at his chest.

"What I do doesn't affect you!" he argues, throwing his hands up in the air as his voice raises.

"You constantly break promises with me, just to fulfil your own desires and you think it doesn't affect me?" I question, now shouting too. "You're meant to be my brother and the one who's always there for me, yet you've recently found more time for the people that you change after a day at the most. How does it not affect me?"

He just stares at me, searching for an answer, which he doesn't find. I turn back around and slam down my bow and arrows into my chariot as I send away my horses. Once they've set off and I've disappeared out of my brother's sight, I sink to the floor and place my head in my hands. I don't like it when we're fighting. Usually, we're so close but we're not at the moment it seems.

I stay in the same place, my arms tightly wrapped around my legs as I rest my face on my knees, as our last few conversations run through my mind. I don't know if it's because the new powers we're gradually getting are slowly changing us, or if it's because we're getting older and growing further apart, or if it's even a different reason. Whatever the reason behind it, I know for sure that I don't like it.

Sighing, I close my eyes and rest my head back, against the cold metal of the chariot. The journey my horses take to the Island is not too long or too short, and they always take the smoothest route. The air along the route is refreshing but not too cold, allowing me to cool after the latest argument, and it smells sweet too.

Within what feels like no time, the chariot lands on the soft sand with a gentle thud. I open my eyes just before I step out, my sandaled feet sinking into the ground slightly. I pick my bow and arrows up, slipping them over my shoulder as I walk towards my horses, then untacking them and letting them roam the Island, free.

I begin walking forward out of the heat of the sun, just as I hear a slight panting behind. I go to turn around but am stopped by a familiar pair of hands, prising my weapons out of my hands. They then push me up against a tree as they raise my hands above my head and spin me around to face them.

"Leave," I order.

"No," my brother replies, his golden eyes meeting my blue.

"Why have you come?" I challenge, frowning.

"You asked me, didn't you?" he reasons.

"You said you couldn't come," I argue.

"Would you like me to go again?" he asks.

"Yes," I admit.

"Well, I won't," he tells me.

"What was the point of you asking then?" I sigh.

"I wanted to know," he answers.

"You didn't like my response," I point out.

"I know-" he begins.

"So why have you come?" I repeat.

His face softens slightly as he allows my arms to fall to my sides once he drops his hold. "I don't like us arguing," he whispers.

I sigh again. "I don't either," I agree. "But I will say that I don't like you breaking promises."

"I don't try to break them, I just forget!" he complains.

"I know." I nod my head slowly. "It's just kind of hard to digest when it always happens now whilst we were inseparable when we were younger."

"Please don't let us fight," he begs. "Please don't let us argue," I add.

He smiles. "Please let the prophecy continue."

"So our future can do the same," I finish.

I hug him as he laughs, then returning the hug. "That's better," he mutters. "I'll try to stop breaking my promises to you."

"And I'll try to stop snapping as easily if you do," I bargain.

"Good plan." He leans back and straightens the band of metal on top of my head, then bending down to pick up my bow and arrows for me.

He places my quiver of arrows over my shoulder, but when he puts my bow in my hands, I feel something else there so ask, "What's that?"

He pretends to look confused but I can see right through any expression he makes. I put my hands on my hips and refuse to take the bow so he says, "I don't know what you mean."

"Yeah, you do!" I argue. "You know there's no point trying to fake innocence with me."

"You know me better than mother," he complains. "Have you considered it's maybe not a bad thing?"

"No, not really," I admit. "Just tell me what it is."

"I was saving it for tomorrow, for the ceremony, but I thought I'd give it to you now, to make up for everything," he explains. "Shut your eyes."

Doing as he asks, I allow my eyelids to fall closed over my eyes, shutting the world away from my vision. Now, I'm dependent on my other senses. I can hear my brother taking whatever was in his grip from under my bow, and putting my bow on his shoulders. I can smell and almost taste the sweet, powerful aroma that always follows my brother around, as he moves towards me. Then I feel his hands slip behind my neck as he ties something in place, letting on fall to my chest.

But, the first thing I really could feel was the presence of someone behind me, and their eyes fixed to us. I smile, knowing who it is and probably want he's thinking.

"May I open my eyes?" I ask. "Of course," he replies. Once my eyes are open, I look down and raise my hand to the necklace. It has a pink pearl on a string, probably made of mixture of magical elements. I let a wide grin cover my face as I whisper, "Thank you, Apollo."

"It's nothing," he answers as I throw my arms around his neck.

"You get yours tomorrow," I admit.

He laughs. "Don't worry about it."

"No, I was going to make you something tonight anyway," I argue. "But, for now, can I be excused? I have something I need to do on the Island."

He leans back from my hug and raises an eyebrow. "So you made a big thing of getting me to come here and now you're going to ditch me?"

"Well, I needed to do something here anyway, I was just seeing if you would actually ever return to the Island with me," I say.

He sighs. "Fine."

"Thank you." I kiss his cheek, playing an act for my spectator, before he walks away to his chariot, flying back home to do whatever he planned.

As soon as Apollo disappears over the horizon, I hear laughter behind me, so I turn around to meet the green eyes of my potential fellow hunter. "So, is this young, dashing man to you anything more than a companion?" he asks.

"What is it to you?" I reply, smiling slightly because I have an idea of who he's thinking he is.

"I want to know if we shall be in competition to woo the heart of a particular beautiful Goddess," he admits.

I roll my eyes; my assumptions were correct.

"And then I will decide if I should stay as one of your hunters," he finishes.

"Right, following that, I have many things I wish to tell you of," I say. "First: I have not yet agreed your position of hunter, hence why I have returned today. Second: If that "particular beautiful Goddess" is me, you nor anyone else shall be wooing her. Third: If you wish to stay a hunter after becoming one, you shall not be in a relationship. And fourth: That man is my brother!"

"Oh, you were acting, it appears," he sighs. I nod. "Again, Son of Poseidon, your intelligence fails to impress me."

He frowns. "So, how were you planning to test me?"

"Follow me," I instruct. I begin running in a sprint around the Island, him soon following me.

He catches up to me in a matter of seconds and then runs at my side, keeping his gaze focussed forward. I look to my side to study in his figure again, in comparison.

His strong, muscled legs easily carry him as he runs through the sand, a seemingly difficult substance to run through, and he keeps pace with me. His lungs seem to have a large capacity as he seems to be fine for air at the moment. His powerful arms, as he moves them quicker, increase his speed along the way. My final glance at him goes to his face, which is still fixed forward, as he concentrates, his hair flying over his features.

I glance behind me when I sense an animal and smile, waiting to see if Orion will notice it. To ensure he doesn't take the direction of my eyes as a clue, I turn my face forward too, anticipating when the animal will either attack him, or he will attack the animal.

Within a second, his hand has located the club in his belt, and he's swung around, swinging it straight into the head of the creature. As he kills it instantly, he carries on running, whilst I skid to a halt to examine his kill. I'm still impressed as to how he can make such a clean kill with his primary weapon.

"Are you just throwing random things at me?" he asks, stopping too and walking behind me to watch me as I sit on the sand.

"And so what if I am?" I challenge. "It may be a greater test for you. May I see your club?"

As he places the weapon into my hand, I hear the sound of a bird or some airborne creature as it heads for us as well. Pretending to be interested in the club, I watch out of the corner of my eye as he finds a knife instead and sends it straight into the heart of the animal.

"Son of Poseidon, what is the order of the tides today?" I question. "The sea was at its highest point five hours ago," he begins, sitting down next to me. "It will reach to about where that rock is in an hour and three quarters. Then it will retreat back to our position until your moon reaches its peak point."

"Swim to that rock," I suggest.

"My lady, the water is not deep enough to swim," he argues.

"Are you afraid?" I taunt. "

Why would the son of Poseidon be afraid of the sea?" he laughs.

"Precisely what I thought," I agree. "Prove you're not."

He sighs as he gets to his feet, jogging until he reaches the water. Unlike a normal mortal, he wades through it as if it were just air. When the water reaches his chest, he starts swimming and it only takes him a minute or so to reach his intended destination. Then he returns within a few minutes and throws a knife just above my head.

"Killing me is not appreciated!" I shout.

"How about saving your life?" he replies.

"Oh," I mutter when I see the animal that he stopped from killing me. "Thank you."

"It took nothing," he answers as he returns to his place on the sand. "Was there a reason behind that?"

"Do you agree to use your skills as a hunter with good intentions?" I recite.

He nods as he say, "I do."

"Do you agree to protect all that are under my care as well?" I continue.

"I do," he repeats.

"Do you agree to an oath of chastity?" My final requirement; the one that affects me most, but the one I'm not sure he'll be able to stick to.

He bites his lip and looks away from me. After a few moments, he mutters, "I do."

"I will hold you to that," I inform him. "But, until the point of _if_ you break that oath, congratulations are in order for becoming one of my hunters."

He smiles. "Thank you, my lady. I will be sure to not let you down."

"The consequences will be great if you do decide to break any of the requirements," I warn. "So, thank you for agreeing to them for now. I look forward to your company on my future hunting trips."

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**Author's Note: I really hope you like this chapter, I don't really know if you do because I've only had a couple of reviews... But anyway, I hope it was good :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five-**

After lifting the moon up into the night sky, I return straight to the Island to find the gift that I promised I would give to my brother. I know what it is going to be but making it is going to be the hardest thing, especially after he put so much effort into mine.

"You and I, though we are now fellow hunter, have done very little hunting together up until now," reasons a deep voice as I reach down for my bow and arrows.

I shake my head and roll my eyes as I put my quiver of arrows on my shoulder. "Have I had time to?" I reply.

Orion smiles and shrugs his shoulders. "I thought you should have been able to find time for me."

"Now, dear Orion, do you think you are the only thing that plays across a young Goddess' susceptible mind?" I mock.

"The answer is yes for most," he informs me.

"Perhaps I fancied being different to everyone else," I suggest. "However, if you are so desperate to hunt that you would wait for me to return after taking the moon up and you be willing to disrupt my plans, perhaps I shall challenge you."

His smirk deepens. "The Goddess of hunting would challenge one of her lessers?"

"Because she would not be worried about losing, because she would know that it would not be possible to," I argue.

He raises an eyebrow. "I therefore challenge you to get more kills than me in an hour," I go to interrupt but he continues, "and whoever gets the most is allowed to command the other to do one thing of their choice."

I pause for a moment, taking in his choice. Surely the decision should be straight forward because, as he said, I am the Goddess of hunting, so I should have no disadvantage. However, saying that, he is quite a strong hunter himself and I would never be able to live it down if I were beaten at my own power by a half mortal.

"Are you scared of losing to me?" he mocks. "Does it worry you, making the choice a difficult one?"

"I never said I was scared," I reason. "I was simply deciding what your challenge would be when you lose."

He smiles and offers out his hand for me to shake. I take it tentatively as he says, "Good luck. However confident you may seem, you have no chance against a stunner like me. You will get distracted by my looks, plus the fact I am so much better anyway."

My mouth drops open and he taps my chin shut as he sprints away, leaving me, frozen on the beach as I take in his words. Now, I have no choice but to beat him, as if there originally was a choice.

Once what I have to do and how I have to do it finally hits me, I step back into my chariot and send it back into the air. From up here, I can see the whole Island, meaning I have the advantage. There is no chance that I am going to lose this.

I notch an arrow onto my bow and draw it back to my lips as I aim at the buck I see being chased by my competition. I smile and let the arrow fly, hitting it before Orion gets to it. I then quickly do the same to another near to him, before heading in the other direction. I have to give him a little chance.

As I catch sight of three birds flying in formation, I skilfully balance three arrows on the bow, then letting them simultaneously fly and hit their intended target. I do the same for a while longer, surveying the Island from my vantage point and shooting the creatures that I aim for, hitting them without a problem.

When I know we have got a few minutes left, I guide the chariot back down onto the soft sand and swiftly step out, planning to do a small amount of hunting on foot. I load my bow with an arrow as I set off, making my way into the forest quickly and catching sight of a third buck. Within no time, the arrow has caught itself in the creature's neck, killing it instantly so it is transported to rest with my other kills.

I glance up at the moon, briefly, checking the time. I reckon I have about five minutes left. I smile as on hearing the snapping of a twig under foot or hoof, I turn around and see my final target making its way slowly through the trees, unaware of my presence nearby. I notch the last arrow that I will use onto my bow as I silently follow it, waiting for the perfect moment to take my shot.

After a few minutes of just wandering, I bite my lip, anxious for this kill to be done. Something tells me that my partner would not allow me to be late. Sure that I will hit it anyway, I pull the string back to its maximum stretch and take a deep breath to prepare myself, until another hunter catches my eye.

The tension in the string drops and the wind catches my breath just a second before it blows Orion's hair into a bigger, more attractive mess. He must have his eyes on the same creature as me once again, for he gently runs his hands through his hair to push it out of his stunning green eyes, which are locked onto the animal.

However, this beast, which shall soon be killed by one of us in the vicinity, has not noticed him either. A small smirk graces his handsome features as he walks forward, striking his prey down with one hard blow to its head. He kneels down for a second to check its status, before standing up and placing the club back into his belt, the muscles in his arms rippling as he moves.

"Did I just kill your prey again?" cuts the voice through my thoughts.

I groan and shut my eyes, biting my lips very slightly. "I cannot speak against you for doing so," I answer. "I think we should now probably be counted as on the same front for this dispute."

"I think the hour is probably up by now," he decides, suddenly appearing so close next to me that I can feel his breath tiggling my neck.

"I should say the same," I agree, opening my eyes as I raise my hand to my flushed cheeks, feeling them warm.

"Was your journey successful?" he asks.

"Well, it will probably please the kitchens for tonight, for a while at least." I glance to the side and see how he has moved back slightly, leaning onto the trunk of a tree. "How was your trip?"

"After someone had stop interrupting my work, I did well too," he replies, return the smile that finds its way across my face. "But I do believe that I probably did better than you."

I raise an eyebrow and turn my whole body around to face him. "Oh, you really think that, do you? I, as a matter of fact, think the results will be the reversed to the ones you expect."

He smiles. "If that is the case, I hope what you will order me to do will be worth it. For what I have planned for you certainly is."

He begins walking back to the beach and I quickly catch up with him, walking back beside him as I say, "I must say that your hunting skills really are quite respectable. I find it impressive how you can make your kill with a single, swift blow to the head of the creature, and how it can be so clean."

"Why do you expect it to be messy?" he questions.

"I just do not expect the kill from a club to be so easy," I explain honestly. "I apologise for possibly making judgements."

He smiles again. "It does not matter," he promises. "Though, I will return the compliment by saying that your archery skills from such heights are incredible too, unless your arrows are enchanted to hit it, whatever your aim."

"I do not have arrow which are enchanted to hit my target!" I laugh. "My skills are ones I have acquired from just being brilliant."

He laughs too, the sound being one of the most beautiful I have ever heard. "I must agree that you do appear to be brilliant, from what of you I have seen."

"Thank you, Orion, you are not so bad yourself." This seems to be the first time I have found it easy to just speak to him. It seems that I have dropped any prejudices tonight, to maybe allow him to make a greater impression on me than before.

In no time, we have reached the beach and I glance to either side, surveying our two piles of kills. They both look equally large, Orion's for having big creatures, mine for having many. I bite my lip, honestly hoping that my mine wins, partially because I am worried about his orders.

"How do we judge this?" I ask after a minute of silently trying to make a decision.

"I personally cannot reach a judgement, and I presume by your question that you cannot either," he tells me.

I nod. "I have no idea."

At this moment, my two horses make their way over to us, nuzzling their heads between ours. They softly nicker for attention and I rub my hand along their noses, briefly brushing against my companion in the process.

"They could help," he whispers, for now appearing to ignore the contact between our two hands. "Would you mind deciding on who wins?" He directs this to the two horses.

They immediately walk away from us and to the piles, hardly blinking an eye at the dead creatures in front of them. I adjust the positioning of my quiver full of arrows as I wait, anxious to know who won.

"Whoever won, the competition was fierce," mutters Orion from beside me.

I glance around, watching him as he keeps his eyes fixed in front of him. "Yeah," I agree quietly, looking at his windblown hair, his cheeks turned pink from the fierce gale.

Obviously feeling my gaze, he turns around to and asks, "Am I more interesting than the competition we have just had?"

I blush a deep red colour again, causing him to laugh as I try to cover my cheeks. "Not at all," I lie. "I was deciding what your challenge would be."

"Perhaps yours should be to stop blushing so much at unnecessary things," he suggests, taking a step forward in the time that my eyes are shut when I blink.

"I do not blush all the time," I argue. Well, I definitely did not before. "It is the wind against my cheeks."

"Why are they warm then, not cold?" he reasons.

"How would you know?" I snap.

He laughs. "I can just tell, my lady, by the way you snap so easily about the subject."

I frown, not saying anything that could please him. I do not blush lots. I only do occasionally, and it is because he says stupid things.

"The colour you blush is alluring though," he admits. "It is just a slightly paler colour than your lips."

"Stop it, son of Poseidon!" I sigh, shutting my eyes to stop myself from looking at him.

"Okay, no more mentioning of your beautiful blush," he agrees, making an annoyed groan escape my lips. "How about how you should stop falling for me, when you know you cannot?"

My chin drops in shock as my eyes fly open, finding him mere inches away from me. "I have not and will not ever fall for you," I complain at the same time as he slides a hand behind my neck, tangling his fingers within my hair. I hiss in retort to this movement, "I told you to never lay a hand on me-"

"I won the hunt, your horses say." He smiles as he continues, "Therefore my challenge to you is to do something you are not allowed to do."

"No." My answer is short and sounds definite, but I feel anything the opposite of sure at the moment. "What you are suggesting will get me in an unbelievable amount of trouble, and I do not need that kind of trouble just before I get my powers."

"But, my lady, we made a deal," he reminds me as I push away his hands from my hair and waist.

"No!" I repeat, my voice rising slightly as I turn away.

"Why not?" he complains like a child.

"I was punished for a month for laying a comforting hand on Hermes' shoulder whilst he cried, I was beaten for sitting on the same seat as Dionysus, and there is a reason why I have not told anyone that I have a male hunting companion," I answer. "Especially as my new companion is a demi god, one which everyone has had tales about. The stories that tell of Orion, son of Poseidon, son of a mortal, half giant, and beauty of the land and seas are not good because each one promises that he is the biggest trouble maker known to mortal or God."

"I could tell tales about the new Goddess Artemis too, ones that have been told by mortals," he retorts.

I spin around my heel, coming face to face with him. I drop my bow and arrows on the sand and stand on my tiptoes to gain some kind of height that I have lost by being younger, female and not part giant. "I have never ever fallen for a male and I will never ever fall do so. I will always stick by the rules of my prophecy, no matter how much I appear to hate it. I am not like the Goddess Aphrodite, and I have no plans to become like her. I am Artemis, Goddess of the hunt, young girls and the moon. I will stay a maiden forever, no matter how much the crazy mortal emotion of love will try to tempt me otherwise. I am sorry if your intentions led you to believe in other things but, if that is the case, you may not be able to stay one of my fellow hunters if you aim just to distract me and not actually be any help."

He sighs and looks down, away from me. He does not say anything for a few minutes and I wonder if he ever will again because it is not like him to stay silent. "I should be sorry," he whispers eventually, keeping his gaze fixed onto his hands. "I know that you cannot do things that other Goddesses can, yet I still go out of my way to charm you and make you fall for me. I know I am irresponsible, so if you want to remove my contract for being one of your hunters, it is completely up to you if you want to do so."

I bite my lip and stare at him. Why does he have to make decisions so difficult? I should find it easy to dismiss him for trying to seduce me, yet he makes me want to change my mind. I do not what about him it is, but it still works on me, even after all this persuasion from myself that I'll never fall for him.

I sigh and reach up to take hold of his head within my hands. "Come to the ceremony, for when Apollo and I will get our powers," I plead.

"If that is what you so wish, of course," he promises.

"Thank you." I smile spreads across my lips as I lean down for a brief second, planting a soft kiss on his head before I move back.

I walk to the edge of the Island and sit down on the sand where it is dry, just next to where the tide is rising and falling. I know how I want Apollo's present to be, so I just need to make it and it should not take too long, which is lucky as I have already wasted an hour and a bit.

I look around me for what I will need to make it and I frown as I cannot find any of it, until a strong hand takes hold of mine, opening up to reveal what I need. "I guessed you might want this," says Orion, his ability to know everything making my stomach flip.

"This is just what I needed. They are great," I thank.

"No problem." He kneels down next to me and asks, "Is there anything else you need or would you care for me to go elsewhere instead?"

"I would like some company," I admit, running the materials through my hands as I focus my gaze on the reflection of my moon on his father's water. Although it is a calm night, her image is still slightly fragmented, and I wonder if it ever looks whole.

"If that is your decision, then I will stay here," he promises, sinking down onto the ground next to me, his hand brushing against my bare arm as he adjusts his position.

"Thank you for staying with me, Orion," I whisper, "especially after the little I have ever done for you. I feel that I have always been cheating you of something you deserve, just because I have been scared to trust you, when I think I always have. I was just new to these feelings. So, once again, thank you for being there for me."

* * *

**Author's Note: As always, I'll ask if you wouldn't mind leaving me a review (maybe as an early Christmas present :P) but don't worry; I'm not really expecting them now.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and have a good Christmas break :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six-**

As I catch sight of where my moon is, I jump to my feet and away from my hunting companion, causing him to jump a little. "Does something trouble you?" he asks, looking up at me with a look of worry playing across his handsome features.

"Stay here," I instruct. "I will just complete my job then I will come back here, to Island for you and we will go back to Olympus for the ceremony."

A slight smile graces his lips and he nods his head. "I look forward to your return then."

I return his smile and rush to my chariot as casually as possible. I call my horses to me and swiftly tack them back up, then jumping into it and not throwing a glance back at the beach once as I make my way into the sky.

I leave it until the beach is a mere golden speck in my vision until I change into my semi Godlike state, just whilst I transport my moon. Only a few more hours and my form will be much more almighty and, to be honest, I will also have more freedom to do what I wish instead of being ordered about by mother all the time.

Once I feel a slight drag on the back of my chariot, I allow myself to relax a little. My moon always relaxes me and puts me into a state of serenity. It is due to how much power is concealed in its smaller form, in comparison to the sun. Its simple yet alluring silver shine draws me in too, reminding me of something I cannot quite put my finger on.

Time seems to speed for I soon find my chariot returning to the beach where I left my fellow hunter. Somehow as well, I have changed back to the form that he can see me in, drawing out a small smile onto his lips at the sight of me when I arrive back in front of him.

"My lady, do you bathe in the beauty of your moon or do you just naturally absorb it every time you draw near to it?" he accuses.

I just smile too, finding there no point in replying to his foolish compliments. He shall carry on, regardless of anything I say, any arguments against his words that shall protect myself from anything that my mother will say when she finds out, which she probably will tonight. My mother is not one to miss anything.

"And I think we both take the traits of which we are related to. My father is the God of the seas so I am like the tides. You control the moon, so have the same attractiveness. On top of that, I think you may draw me to yourself like the moon draws the tides," he adds.

I roll my eyes and stop a groan from leaving my lips. I eternally wish that this is the remnants of our challenge earlier because I doubt he will stay sober later and therefore he may be even worse.

"Now, shall we stay here forever or will you and I soon return to Mount Olympus so you may complete the ceremony for your powers?" he asks. "I do not mind whichever you choose, just as long as I am with you for the duration of the time."

"Stop attempting to seduce me and perhaps then will I tell you my plans," I finally answer.

He laughs gently as his smile grows, his feet walking him in slow, ever tightening circles around me. "I was not aware that I was doing such a thing."

"Touch me once and I will certainly ensure that you know," I challenge, watching each of his movements carefully, silently daring him to try something that I will make sure that he regrets.

"You are just too much of a temptation," he complains, stopping just in front of me and raising a hand to stroke my cheek.

"Yet I will not let you fall into such a trap. It would be unfair to let you do so," I promise, catching his hand and bringing it down to where it naturally falls. "I may be a Goddess, but I am not such a cruel one that I would trick you."

"I do not know, I have the feeling that some tricks have befallen me from you," he argues quietly, attempting to pull his hand out of my hold.

"Perhaps it is a matter of opinion," I suggest, keeping my grip on his wrist tight as I slowly walk backwards, my heels soon touching the cold metal of the chariot. "Or perhaps you speak a little of the truth too."

He does not have time to prevent the slight slip of his smile to a look of confusion before I have pulled him into the chariot behind me, sending it off towards our destination.

"The only time that you are allowed," I remind him softly, wrapping his strong arms around my waist so that he stays in place for the duration of our flight. "Any other time and I will kill you."

His sweet chuckle escapes his lips as he leans down, resting his chin on my shoulder, his warm breath tickling the side of my cheek. "If that is what you so wish, I suppose I am not often one to break promises."

"You would certainly regret it if you broke this one or even enchanted me to do the same," I agree, gently placing my hands on his arms.

"I am sure I would not," he whispers, the tone of his voice soft and alluring, playing with the emotions I have forced away from men.

I do not bother replying again, laying my own head back against his shoulder so I can stare at the lightening blue sky. For now, it is a deep sea blue but it will gradually change to the colour of the sea as it hits the shore, but no sea foam will cross the sky today.

At a slight sudden pressure change on my neck, causing a shiver to run down my spine, my head snaps to side, my eyes falling on the only other occupant of the chariot, his eyes focussed where mine were a few seconds earlier.

On feeling my gaze set upon him, he glances to me. "Is something wrong, my lady?" his words sounding as genuine as his small smile.

"Did you not say something? I thought I heard you speak," I lie.

He shakes his head. "I apologise that I unfortunately did not," he replies.

"Oh right," I mutter, turning my head back to the sky. I knew he had not spoken in the first place but I needed some form of excuse.

As my eyes slowly settle down, back onto the cloudless sky, I feel a repeat of the slight pressure against my neck but this time, I do not stop it. My eyes flutter shut as I feel his warm breath brush against my skin, his lips gently leaving a trail of kisses. His lips gradually fall to my collarbone, earning another shiver to run down my body and a soft sigh to escape my lips.

Seeming to take the sound as consent to carry on, I feel him smirk against my skin, causing his kiss to grow slightly more adventurous. As he does so, my hands leave his wrists, sliding further up until they are behind his own neck, pulling him closer towards mine. His smirk grows and I run my hands back to his arms, prying him off without him noticing until I let go and he stumbles back.

"My lady," he begins, staring deep into my eyes as he fumbles to take of a hold of my wrist.

"Try that again and I will actually let you go," I warn, closing my fingers around his wrist and pulling him back up behind me. "Do not even attempt it if you wish to see another few hours at the most." I put his arms back around my waist and look forward, not meeting his desperate gaze.

He sighs and does not say anything for a few moments, whilst I hope he thinks back over what he did. Eventually, he mutters, "You can take me to another piece of mortal land if you would prefer. I do not have to come with you if you do not want me to."

"You are one of my hunters. You need to be there to see what I will do," I answer, my voice now hard and without emotion. "Though, I will ask you to behave yourself better than you have been."

He nods slowly. "I am sorry, my la-"

"Do not apologise," I interrupt. "What is done is done. For now, I will not hold it against you. But if you do repeat your actions, as you are one of my hunters, I may not be able to overlook your deeds twice."

"Yes, whatever you ask," he says, any confidence or flirtatious manners now disappeared from him.

I bite my lip as I see the golden haze in front us becoming clearer as we draw closer to it. I take a deep breath in and then release it, steadying my breath to clear my strangely fluttering nerves. However, I do not know why I am like this because no one should really make assumptions about me without having any proof to secure their beliefs, and they have none of that.

As soon as the wheels of my chariot hit solid ground, I peel my companion's arms away from me, stepping onto the cobblestones and turning briefly to him, not meeting his gaze. "I will be gone for a few moments, to get ready. Amuse yourself."

I hand the reins of my horses to one of the nymph maids and then begin walking to the palace, only realising what a bad idea leaving Orion alone is once I am a distance away. However, I dare not turn back or invite him elsewhere because I know that he will cause trouble wherever he finds himself. I believe he must find it a challenge.

I swiftly make my way to my room, shutting the door behind me before I glance in the mirror. Unfortunately, I do not think Orion was really lying early. If I am being honest, I do look more beautiful. I knew I would grow older, hence the reason for my curves and height, but I also have a slight silver sheen across my generally pale skin. Then a frown flits across my face at the sight of the redness on my neck, which was hidden under my golden curls.

"He is your lover?" screams my mother as she suddenly appears behind me, causing me to drop my hair as soon as possible so that it hides anything she could use to support her accusation.

"No, he is merely my new hunting companion," I reply, keeping my voice steady as I turn to face her.

"But he is Orion, a giant, the son of Poseidon, you should hate him!" she reasons. "You should not be off gallivanting with him instead."

"He is my new hunting companion," I repeat.

"Apollo and you work well at hunting!" she argues.

"_He_ is my new hunting companion," I say for the third time, beginning to lose patience. "And, though Apollo and I are good hunters together, he never has the time anymore."

"He has other things to do," she begins.

"And one of them is women," I mutter, looking down from her eyes as I accuse my brother.

"Your "new hunting companion" is a man," she reminds me.

"Yet he has proved himself to me," I answer, lying slightly now. "He is a good hunter and he would never try anything."

"You have never thought the same way about a man before," she replies, crossing her arms over her chest as she stares at me.

"And I doubt I will again," I agree. "Now, will you please excuse me? I have a power ceremony to prepare for."

She huffs and mutters a complaint under her breath as she exits the room as quickly as she came, seeming to begin leaving almost as soon as I spoke.

I smile slightly at her absence and strip myself of my hunting clothes, throwing them in a pile for a maid before I wash myself of any forest dirt. I glance at my reflection in a mirror and raise my hand to the simple necklace from my brother that lies around my neck. Its simplicity is possibly what makes it so beautiful, that or the situation in which he gave it to me.

I turn away from the mirror and walk to the dress that has been lain out for me; this is the one time that my outfit will not be practical. I slip it over my head, the simple white fabric falling gracefully to my heels, the silver embellishments focused from my right hip, up my back and front, and then to my left shoulder. It is pulled in slightly at my waist, the rest falling naturally.

I step into my plain silver sandals, buckling them at my ankle. Then I return to the front of the mirror to fix my hair into place. Usually, and after a few days following today, my hair will be the least of my priorities but it is rather important now that my neck is concealed. I sigh, securing my golden curls so that they cover the redness, settling over the single strap of my dress.

As soon as I have done, setting my silver circlet on my head, I exit my room too, leaving my bow and arrows in their holders, against my better judgement. I try making my way back down to the courtyard without seeming too desperate and I do quickly find myself stepping out from under an archway. I glance around as I walk out, avoiding everyone's eyes until I spot the cause of my troubles.

I silently make my way up behind him, taking in his altered appearance as I move. He is wearing a clean blue tunic, which is a similar colour to the pale blue, almost white, sky. The sleeves of this outfit barely cover his shoulder, his leg equally hidden, leaving no need for imagination for his looks and abilities. His hair has been swept to the side in a style as well, leaving just his belt and sandals unchanged.

I smirk, climbing onto the wall behind where he stands against, leaning down to his ear and shouting, "Son of Poseidon, I need to talk to you."

My outburst causes a few heads to turn in my direction, though the only one who speaks is the one who I caused to jump. He turns to face me and mutters, "Please note that had you been anyone else, I would have killed you for that."

My smirk turns into a smile I motion for him to follow me, away from any prying eyes so I may complain at him alone. "You are my lover?" I question eventually into his ear.

He smiles now too, his eyes taking in my appearance slowly before he replies. "Who could resist you when you look as you do?"

"You know that I will never take a man as my own," I reason. "But did you say you were my lover?"

"Has that rumour been floating around?" he asks, pretending to look shocked.

"No, I just felt like making it myself- Of course there has been a rumour going around about us two," I snap.

"I was not the cause of it," he begins.

"But you are not saying you were not a part," I finish.

"I suppose I did not," he agrees, shrugging his shoulders as he nods his head slightly in agreement of my point.

"Please do not fuel their rumours," I plead softly.

"If you so wish, my lady," he promises, bowing his head. I begin walking away until his words call me back. "However, if you did not keep taking me away so I was on my own with you, there would not be any rumours to fuel."

I frown, turning on my heel to look deep into his eyes, just a few inches away from mine. "I never take you alone anyway."

"The Island?" he suggests. "The forest on the Island, your chariot, this area of the courtyard? No one else was there or is there now."

"You are my hunting companion. If there was a huge number of us, we would not be able to hunt," I argue.

"Explain that to everyone else then," he suggests, walking back past me, his arm once again brushing against mine.

I sigh, soon following him back out but choosing to make my way over to Apollo rather than to the hordes of giggling Goddesses. I arrive next to my brother, throwing a scowl in Orion's direction, then do not say anything.

"So, is he the one with whom you had a date yesterday?" Apollo asks quickly as I settle at his side. "I heard he and you get on well."

"No, he is my new hunting companion," I say, and I doubt it will be for the last time today.

"He is the reason why you told me that you did not need me yesterday, even after you begged me for an age?" he accuses.

"Yes, though not for the reason that everyone suspects," I answer, my gaze still focussed in a scowl to the other side of the courtyard.

"You do not really give everyone another reason that could act as an explanation," he reasons, causing me to sigh.

"He thinks the same thing," I mutter, standing up straight as I catch sight of our mother making our way over to us.

"Apollo, Artemis, you should really be mixing with everyone else, as this is the party for your powers," she complains.

"I just needed to speak privately with Apollo first." The truth is I do not want to talk to anyone else particularly.

"Well then," she begins, "as it seems that you have finished that, you may talk to others later. Right now is when you will get your powers."

I look back up to her face from where I had been adjusting the embellishments on my waist. "Now?" I repeat. "I thought we were waiting for nightfall."

"No, that is when you must have to have your powers by and they are usually received before midday," she informs me. "So, I will call order and bring silence to the courtyard, and then we shall begin."

I just stare at her back as she walks away, only being brought back to reality when my brother lifts a soft hand to gently squeeze my shoulder. "Do not worry about it, Arte. We do not really have to do much."

I pull a slight face but nod anyway. "I know," I mumble, allowing myself to be lead forward by him as everyone else around us falls silent.

* * *

The ceremony is over sooner than I had expected and, surprisingly, nothing went wrong. In addition to that, I feel no different to how I was before, when I was not officially a full Goddess. As I stand at the side of the courtyard, letting relief flood over me, I do not really have the chance to take in what everyone is saying to me, the excitement of the whole thing still kind of sinking in.

"Perhaps now, you will be able to actually beat me in a hunting competition," challenges Orion, his smooth voice pulling me out of my daze and putting a frown on my face.

"I still do not really believe I lost that," I disagree, looking up to meet his eyes.

"Maybe we will try it again and I will tell you if you have improved," he suggests.

My frown just deepens. Something in the tone of his voice tells me that he has already lost any chance of staying sober for the night.

Just as I go to reply, the magnificently beautiful Goddess Eos appears at my companion's side, laying a golden hand on his shoulder, slowly running it up to the side of his face. "My congratulations to you and your brother," she whispers, paying more attention to distracting the hunter than to me.

I roll my eyes, not expecting anything else from her. "Why, thank you," I answer. I push myself away from the wall, forcing a smile onto my face as I slip past Orion, muttering, "You do remember the terms of your position as hunter, of course," then walking away before he has the chance to reply.

I guess that I will just have to wait until tomorrow to see if he really does remember.

* * *

**Author's Note: So I didn't actually do the writing bit for the "power ceremony" because I have no idea what it would be like... But I just thought I'd write something... To be honest, if I don't get any new reviews, I'll just do a few more chapters and then finish it. I just don't have the motivation for it really anymore :/**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven-**

As I walk down the corridor, stretching my arms above my head, I note how I feel no different to how I did this time yesterday, except possibly that am I no longer sitting on a beach. It is not quite that I do not feel like a real Goddess now, just that, as the moon is not in the sky and I have not been given any duties yet, there is nothing for me to give my concentration to.

I stop when I reach the door of my hunting partner's room, knocking and then waiting outside as I hear the shuffling of feet behind the wood. I begin tapping my foot and consider walking away just as the door is opened, letting me meet the eyes of Orion and making frown slightly; a look in his eyes shows he is hiding something, and his general case is not helping his defence either.

My eyes stray across his face, noticing how his cheeks have turned an even darker shade of red from what they already appeared to be, now matching the colour of his full lips. His hair is messed up in numerous directions on either side of his face, his neck covered in bruises as if he had been in a fight the night before. Then my gaze finally falls to his chest, his muscles exposed by his lack of shirt.

"Good morning, my lady," he mutters, his voice sounding rough after the alcohol last night.

Before I have the chance to answer, Orion turns his head in the other direction to meet the call of, "Agapi mou, why have you left me?"

My frown deepens as a pair of arms wrap around the bare chest of the man in front of me. The beautiful face of Eos appears on his shoulder, the golden curls of her hair falling down the side of her face and slightly across her eyes. Her lips are a dark colour to match Orion's, and she has similar marks across her face. She shuts her pale violet coloured eyes as leans her lips to his neck, roughly kissing him.

"Eos," Orion groans, catching her chin and pulling her mouth away. He looks sternly at her and raises an eyebrow, nodding in my direction, in a way I am sure he intends to be subtle.

"What is wrong?" she asks, pouting as she opens her eyes to stare at him, probably purposefully missing his silent message. "We were having so much fun."

"I think that is completely your lover's point," I answer for him, crossing my arms over my chest as both of their heads turn in my direction.

A smirk crosses the Goddess' face as she tightens her hold on Orion, laying her chin on his shoulder. "Is there something troubling you?"

"Just your closeness," I reply, not meeting the eyes of Orion.

"Why should what we do worry you?" she mocks, curling a lock of his dark hair around her finger, the other arm snaking around his chest so that her hand rests on his muscled arm.

"Eos," Orion sighs again, prying her arms away as he takes hold of her cheeks, making sure that she has no choice but to look into his eyes. "Stop it. You are still drunk following the party last night. You are imagining that we did things together that you know we really did not. In actual fact, you know that I just took you to a room out of the _kindness of my heart_ and returned to check on you now."

"And ended up with no clothes on following it," she finishes, grinning as she stands up on tiptoes, pushing him against the wall as she passionately kisses him on the lips, something which he returns without missing a beat.

I slam my fist into the side of his face, my relatively good mood suddenly gone, before turning away and stomping away from the two lovers. I hear the unusually heavy tread of feet that follow me but I do not turn around until his arm brushes past mine, when I turn around and shout, "If you dare to touch me again, I swear not even the combined powers of every God and Goddess in existence will be able to save you!"

He stops running after me and takes a step back, looking at me with hints of mixed emotions. "My lady, I am sorry-"

"Why should I believe you anymore?" I ask, the volume of my voice still a shout.

"I still swear a promise of loyalty to you," he begins. "I would not lie to you-"

"You broke another promise, though," I interrupt. "Your final agreement and my _most important_ requirement was your agreement to an oath of chastity. You could not even do that for a few days!"

"I was drunk!" He is shouting now, too. A look of anger has come over his usually calm, slightly flirtatious face. His lips are now formed into a thin line instead of a confident smirk, and they have hidden any traces that revealed what he did last night. He has pulled on a tunic to follow me from his room and this has brushed his hair down a little. But, it is the look that his eyes hold that scare me: gone is the usual sparkle, the joking quality, replaced by a raging storm of more disappointment than anger, and only a little guilt.

"You should have remembered what you promised." I know fully well that it is probably nearly impossible to remember much when drunk, let alone tiny details. At least he remembered that he got drunk, I suppose.

"The wine for Gods is much more potent for a mortal," he reasons, stating something else that I know. I cannot be expected to believe that a lesser being would react the same to something so powerful that it can affect a more important power.

"Then you should have thought about that before drinking out the supplies between you and the Goddess from your dreams." The only reason that I am being bitter towards him is that I feel annoyed, downtrodden and forgotten. There is also a minuscule chance that I feel jealous because I was overlooked in comparison to _her_ and that she was considered more important on my night.

"I never said she was the Goddess from my dreams," he whispers, his cheeks turning a little pink. "In fact, I hardly saw her last night."

"Do not lie to me," I instruct. "Every male I have spoken to has admitted his approval of her beauty, I highly doubt that you will be any different."

He sighs. "I suppose not. But I do not believe that every movement of mine was my own willpower. Yes, I have already said that I was drunk but she is an enchantress too, and I was only being her toy."

I laugh. "You may have been her toy but she was yours in return."

He glares at me, muttering, "If last night were the beginning of a relationship, it would not last well."

"So, you finally admit that you did not merely "just take her to her room and then check on her in the morning"?" I raise an eyebrow. "I presume there were other happenings in between those times."

He squeezes his eyes shut, clenching his fists at his side. But he uses all determination that has been left in his body to refuse to answer me, sure that my mind has been made now and that whatever he says will only add to the scenario I am imagining. And, as well, he knows it is one that I would be neither pleased nor proud of, especially after any promises made.

I cross my arms over my chest as I begin to move again, doing as I did when we first met: walking in ever tightening circles around him, taking in every detail that he possesses, maybe for just the last time. Hardly anything has changed, perhaps only those slight "additions" that were made during the night.

"Am I to your satisfaction, my lady?" he asks through gritted teeth, failing to hide the annoyance in his voice.

"Have you ever been?" I reply, bothering as much as he has to hide my feelings.

"I understand that I was a few days ago," he argues. "You certainly enjoyed my presence yesterday."

"I do not agree," I admit. "You were hardly to what you define as my satisfaction. I merely needed the position of my fellow hunter to be filled."

"And I fitted the job perfectly," he finishes.

"Well then," I say, bringing my heels together in front of him as I stop. I turn around to face him, putting my hands on my hips, and then instruct, "Open your eyes."

"Why should I?" he questions instantly.

"I would like for you to look me in the eyes when I am talking to you," I explain, not softening my voice at all.

"Perhaps I care not of what you would like," he answers.

"Fine, see if I care. Do not take the opportunity to prove what I think wrong," I challenge.

"I do not care," he repeats definitely.

I bite my lip, kind of desperate for him to change his mind. "I believe in flukes, son of Poseidon. I believe that the time you beat me will never happen again. I believe, on the other hand, that you are like every other male in existence, nothing special and nothing different."

He laughs and my face no longer breaks into a slight smile at the sound. "Maybe I am no different. Maybe I will never beat you again and maybe I just spend my time wondering which beautiful woman shall next take my fancy. But you _liked_ it the other day."

"I never did!" I explode. "You are wrong, and you just cannot admit it."

A smirk appears on his lips and he finally opens his eyes, the sea green becoming level with my light blue eyes as he bends down so his face is next to mine. "I think _you_ are just like every other woman and you cannot help but fall for me."

"You wish," I reply, finding myself half hoping that it is still the remnants of the wine that is making him talk like this.

"I _know_," he corrects. "As I know that _I_ am the best hunter in the world and you are just jealous."

"Whilst I know that, if you wish to spend the rest of your days moving from one woman to the next, you will leave my sight. You will never be given the privilege of being my hunting companion again." I say it with such force and determination that I direct myself to walk away before he says a word in his defence, also before I have the chance to change my mind.

As I walk, I tightly grip the sides of my silver tunic in my fists, taking deep breaths to steady my still raging temper. I should have followed what I had been told and stayed clear of men, instead of following my young and naïve mind, which told me to recruit the unfortunately handsome, seemingly well behaved and incredibly talented hunter. I was so stupid.

I hear thudding footsteps behind me again but I do not turn to follow their progress until my prior companion appears just in front of me, his lover from last night gone for now. He throws a look in my direction, glaring at me, before whispering, "You think that I care, you think that throwing me away will make me regret what I did. It will not and it never will."

He then grabs a nymph maid as she passes and begins roughly kissing her but I have turned away, barely flinching before I have really seen anything. He cannot make me care and I will move on. I can find some new hunting companions but, this time, they will all be young females. My hunt will be made up of the girls who have not yet met a man or who have already been broken and never want to be again.

We will make those men regret tricking us.

* * *

**Author's Note: Okay, this was the last chapter. I couldn't be bothered to continue writing something that didn't interest me anymore and got hardly any reviews, therefore this story is brought to a close. **

**Thanks to ****_Gypsy1213 _****and ****_AngelFire85 _****for this story's two reviews, ****_Gypsy1213 _****and ****_Nighttail22 _****for favouriting it, and ****_Nighttail22 _****and ****_fbiuzz _****for following this. For those of you who enjoyed reading it, I'm sorry it's ended but maybe I'll add some more if I ever get any inspiration.**

**Thank you and goodye!**


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